Treatment of pulmonary fibrosis with siRNA against a collagen-specific chaperone HSP47 in vitamin A-coupled liposomes.

Background: Pulmonary fibrosis is a life-threatening pathological state of progressive interstitial lung diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Myofibroblasts are known to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. This study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of a small interfering RNA (siRNA) on a collagen-specific chaperone heat shock protein 47 (HSP47).

Serum surfactant protein D predicts the outcome of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis treated with pirfenidone.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal pulmonary disease with poor prognosis. Pirfenidone, the first antifibrotic drug, suppresses the decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) and improves prognosis in some, but not all, patients with IPF; therefore, an indicator for identifying improved outcomes in pirfenidone therapy is desirable. This study aims to clarify whether baseline parameters can be predictors of disease progression and prognosis in patients with IPF treated with pirfenidone.

Distinct compartmentalization of SP-A and SP-D in the vasculature and lungs of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Background: Surfactant proteins SP-A and SP-D are useful biomarkers in diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Despite their high structural homology, their serum concentrations often vary in IPF patients. This retrospective study aimed to investigate distinct compartmentalization of SP-A and SP-D in the vasculature and lungs by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF)/serum analysis, hydrophilicity and immunohistochemistry.

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for measurement of rat pulmonary surfactant protein D using monoclonal antibodies.

Surfactant protein D (SP-D) has been used as a biomarker of lung inflammation. In rat, several types of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using polyclonal antibodies have been reported. The purpose of this study was the development of a sensitive ELISA for rat SP-D using monoclonal antibodies.

Circulating surfactant protein A (SP-A), a marker of lung injury, is associated with insulin resistance.

Objectives: Impaired lung function and inflammation have both attracted interest as potentially novel risk factors for glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. We hypothesized that circulating levels of surfactant protein (SP)-A, which reflects interstitial lung injury, could be associated with altered glucose tolerance and insulin resistance.

Research Design And Methods: Circulating SP-A concentration and metabolic variables (including insulin sensitivity by minimal model method, n = 89) were measured in 164 nonsmoking men.

GM3 synthase gene is a novel biomarker for histological classification and drug sensitivity against epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer.

Expression of gangliosides and alterations in their composition have been observed during cell proliferation and differentiation and in certain cell cycle phases, brain development and cancer malignancy. To investigate the characteristics of GM3 synthase, SAT-I mRNA and ganglioside GM3 expression levels in lung cancer, we examined the expression levels of SAT-I mRNA as well as GM3 in 40 tumor tissues surgically removed from non-small cell lung cancer patients. Adenocarcinoma tissues expressed SAT-I mRNA levels that were significantly higher than those of squamous and other carcinomas (P < 0.

Elevated serum surfactant protein A and D in pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis.

Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare disease characterized by widespread localization of calcispherites in the alveolar spaces. The authors report two cases of PAM, with markedly elevated sera concentrations of surfactant protein-A and surfactant protein-D, which showed a tendency to increase as the disease progressed. Therefore, surfactant protein-A and surfactant protein-D may function as serum markers to monitor the disease activity and progression of PAM.

Monitoring markers of disease activity for interstitial lung diseases with serum surfactant proteins A and D.

Objectives: Surfactant protein (SP) A and D are specific serum markers for interstitial lung diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The authors evaluated the critical roles of these markers on the prognoses of patients with IPF and the mechanisms of their elevation in sera.

Methodology: The authors evaluated the relationship between prognosis and the serum markers in 82 IPF patients.

Surfactant protein gene expressions for detection of lung carcinoma cells in peripheral blood.

Background: Inflow of tumor cells to circulation is an essential step for metastasis of primary tumors. To know its state may contribute to therapeutic strategy. However, methodology to detect lung carcinoma cells floating in peripheral blood has not been established.

Acute lung injury as an adverse event of gefitinib.

Gefitinib, a selective epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is an effective treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Some investigators have recently reported several patients complicated by acute lung injury after the initiation of gefitinib administration. In this report, we investigated the efficacy and adverse events during treatment with gefitinib.

[Two younger male patients with rapidly progressing pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma].

We report 2 cases of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma. The patient in case 1 was a 44-year-old man who was admitted to our hospital complaining of dry cough and dyspnea on exertion. Chest radiography and CT showed a huge tumor with left pleural effusion.

A rare case of pulmonary bronchogenic cyst associated with bronchial atresia in the same lobe.

A rare case of 49-year-old woman having pulmonary bronchogenic cyst associated with bronchial atresia in the same lobe was presented. The diagnosis was confirmed by aortography and operation specimen. Three-dimensional reconstructed images of computed tomography clearly demonstrated the defference between mucoid impaction of bronchial trees in the left S9 not communicating with hilar bronchus and the cyst in the left S10 oppressing surrounding vessels.

[A case of sarcoidosis with primary pulmonary cavitation].

A 30-year-old woman presented with multiple nodular shadows which enclosed a cavity on a chest radiograph. Chest computed tomographic (CT) images showed mediastinal lymphadenopathy, and multiple nodular opacities enclosing a cavity. Histopathological findings of biopsy specimens from the lung and mediastinal lymph nodes revealed noncaseating epithelioid cell granulomas without any evidence of Mycobacterium or fungal growth.

Assessment of differentiation in adenocarcinoma cells from pleural effusion by peripheral airway cell markers and their diagnostic values.

Ultrastructural studies have shown that Clara cell-type is a more common type of adenocarcinoma than alveolar type II cell-type, and that both types may provide better prognosis than other types, indicating an importance of differentiation toward peripheral airway cells. Pulmonary surfactant protein (SP)-A is a specific marker for both alveolar type II cells and Clara cells in peripheral lung tissues, while SP-C and Clara cell 10 kD protein (CC10) may be particularly and highly specific to alveolar type II cells and Clara cells, respectively. The aims of this study were to assess the differentiation of adenocarcinoma cells in pleural effusions by evaluating the expression of these cell markers and to evaluate their values as diagnostic tools for judging the cause of pleural effusion.

Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis; unusual radiological manifestation of multiple large nodules.

A 44-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital in August 1999 for multiple large nodules detected on chest roentgenogram in an annual health check. Chest CT scans showed bilateral large nodules (>10 mm in diameter) with irregular margins and multiple thin walled cystic lesions. From these radiologic examinations, we suspected pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis.